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On the Record with
JEAN-FRANCOIS BIGAY, CHAIRMAN, EUROCOPTER
Eurocopter Has All the Answers
With three new aircraft here completing the modernization of Eurocopter's
range of civil helicopters from light single turboshafts to 11 tons,
chairman Jean-Francois Bigay can sit back and ask: "What next?"
The military range, too, is comprehensive, from versions of the
commercial line through to the 10-ton NH90 tactical transport and
the Tiger attack helicopter-both of which are about to enter production
in Europe's biggest helicopter programs of the century.
"Being an engineer I must react against my natural tendency
to develop new helicopters, but in the years since I have been head
of this company we have replaced everything," he says.
"We have more solutions, but we don't have the need,"
he added.
The only questionable area is whether there should be a new 6-ton
military helicopter in the UH-1 category. "But in Germany all
UH-1s are being replaced by the NH90; it is the same with Spain
and a lot of other countries," says Bigay.
"Since forces are also looking for rationalization, and in
the past they were flying several types of helicopters, they feel
they can concentrate on just light and medium size machines at 3-4
tons and at 10-tons."
Eurocopter delivered 289 helicopters last year, capturing 50% of
the commercial market and letting it claim to be the world's #1.
By John Morris
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While Eurocopter continues to spend on research into tiltrotors,
chairman Jean-Paul Bigay is far from sure they are the wave
of the future.
"I am not totally convinced it is the optimized, harmonious
solution," he told Show News.
Take Eurocopter's new EC 225/EC 725 Super Puma, for example,
which can transport up to 29 people over 1,000 nmi. on two
engines. "If you need the same-sized engines to fly ten
people with new tiltrotor technology, something is wrong somewhere.
This solution is perhaps paid for in complexity, for an improvement
that is mainly cruise speed.
"But on the other hand I know very well that owners of
turboprop aircraft are calling for jets instead because they
claim lack of performance, so the tiltrotor will have the
same problems of the turboprop," Bigay says.
"I don't believe the tiltrotor is more efficient than
the helicopter, and in the cruise I don't think it meets the
comfort requirements of the passenger today."
Nevertheless Eurocopter is working on tiltrotors to try to
improve the specifications.
"Does it make sense financially? Is it worth the investment?
Well, if your government is paying, perhaps, but that is not
our approach," Bigay says. "It is our own money,
and we must be assured that at the end we have the right product
our customer wants to buy.
"I would like to find who is going to pay for such a
complex machine, and I don't find enough prospects to justify
a strong investment today."
--J.M.
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Is Eurocopter in danger of competing with itself on the 20-passenger
NH90 tactical transport and its new 29-passenger EC 225/EC
725 Super Puma?
Not at all, insists Eurocopter chairman Jean-Francois Bigay-but
he does admit there might be a communications problem over
why the company has two new helicopters in the same class.
"However, I see the Comanche has been announced for years
and our competitors can still sell the 35-year-old Cobra and
the Apache," he notes.
The new Super Cougar is, he says, an extremely advanced helicopter
with a new cockpit, new five-blade rotor, more powerful engines,
and full anti-icing systems. It "will fill the needs
of the armed forces for the next ten years," he says.
NH90 will begin deliveries to European forces in two years'
time, with exports to follow.
"Just as Comanche and Apache are alive at the same time,
we will keep the Super Cougar and the NH90 alive at the same
time," Bigay says.
The Super Cougar already has four orders from the French Air
Force for a combat SAR version. "They are committed to
it as the most advanced machine available today," says
Bigay. Meanwhile the new-generation NH90 will be developed
step by step for different roles, although right now there
are no plans for it perform combat SAR.
-- J.M.
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